The Battle of the Kings
by Ariella1115
Summary: Carefree and spirited Ariella loves everything in the world except the government.  Ezekiel, the aristocrats son, is trouble because of his going to be step mother.  One night, the sunset brings these two together for the first time.  Cont in story.


Hello readers

I hope you enjoy reading the first chapter to the story I wrote. All comments are accepted. (Encouraged). Well on with the story. Thanks for reading and or commenting. :-)

Chapter One: The Gardens

In the room of an enormous and pristine mansion sat a boy staring out his bay window that protruded from his white walls. The blue curtains to the emaculent windows where pulled back so that he could see the enormous city his father ran. The only light that shone in his room was the light that seeped through the bay window. While he sat in the window with a book about history labeled 'The Kings of France', he paused every page to glance out the window at the busy people scurrying down the street. Sighing, he put his book down for the last time and rubbed his aching head. He stood and walked to his perfectly made bed and rolled his eyes because he wished to lie back down but did not want to mess up the made up covers nor did he wish to take off the pillows that were lying perfectly on the blue and gold comforter. He had guessed that the maids had come while he was eating breakfast with his father and that woman his father called fiancée. Grimacing at the thought, he went back to sit in the bay window and stare out at the town.

He saw many people in their work dresses or work pants doing chores around the house or in the town. However, out of all these busy bees his eyes sat upon a girl around fifteen. She was out doing things for the different people in the town that were to busy to take care of the small things that needed to be done. As she carried a woven basket of bread to different townspeople, her golden locks blew gently in the flowing wind. She smiled at everything and everyone and didn't seem to have a care in the world.

Turning around when he heard the door creak, he saw his butler, Timothy. "Master Ezekiel, your father and his fiancée would like to see you soon for tea," said Timothy.

"Yes Timothy I will be there soon," Ezekiel replied sadly.

"Master Ezekiel I know you do not want to have tea with your father and his fiancée but you are going to have to whether you like it or not. After your mother died, the king demanded that your father remarry to withhold his position. That is the way things are," said Timothy

Ezekiel sighed as he stood from the bay window.

"Tell father I will be down shortly. In the mean time I have to get ready. He wants me to look nice doesn't he," asked Ezekiel.

"Decent in other words shirt and tie definitely.

Ezekiel nodded his head and as the butler left down the hall.

Glancing out the window to see if the young girl was still there, Ezekiel sighed disappointedly seeing she was gone.

"Must have gone to do more chores for her family. She is a strange one."

After Ezekiel had dressed in a white button up shirt with a blue tie and khaki pants, he left his room and trudged down the long hallway to the dining room to drink unwanted tea with his father.

The girl that he was staring at ran out of her house once more to go and speak with everyone in the town. She liked to gossip with her friends about her favorite conversations which were politics. She made her way to her friends and acted out the way aristocrats act.

"Look at me everyone! I run this town and no one around here ever thanks me. Everything I do for this town and I get nothing in return. Everyone will listen to me whether they like it or not!" She said while shaking her finger at the villagers who turned around laughing as they shook their heads.

"Ariella must you always speak the truth," one of the townspeople said while turning to her.

"I call them as I see them," she said laughing as her blue eyes glistened in the sun.

"You know your generations will be obeying Master Ezekiel. He isn't so bad I hear. Maybe he will fix this town," the old lady replied.

"Ugh like that will happen. I will never listen to someone so selfish," she replied.

"Alright Ariella run along now. I am sure your father needs help with the baking."

Ariella nodded her head and then ran off to join her father at the bakery.

Ariella was the baker's daughter and everyone in the town was quite fond of her. They all loved her dearly and she helped them with everything they needed without complaining. She loved the idea of helping others and it made her feel great when she did. Though her clothes revealed nothing more than a peasant, she was everything she wanted to be and more. She had a happy family, perfect friends, and everyone seemed to love her attitude and perspective. She was very graceful and loved to dance. Tea with her family was the most important time of the day because it was the time for her family to communicate with each other and express their feelings. She never cried if her father or mother wanted her to improve of something. She always smiled and kept her hope and father strong. The only thing she ever seemed to rebel against was the government. She hated the thought of giving her taxes to the government for them to spend on what they wanted. But no matter the cost, they could not take her faith away. That was one gift that she had locked up tight and didn't plan on giving it away to anyone.

"Ariella, it is time for tea," shouted Ariella's mother from the window of her small house.

"Okay mother I will be right there," replied Ariella smiling and waving her free hand.

"Oh Mrs. Duchess I wanted to tell you that your daughter is so wonderful helping my husband and I with the chores around the house. I really could not have done it without her help," said Mrs. Elizabeth, one of the townspeople.

"Oh you do not have to thank us, she is glad to help I am sure." Duchess said laughing a little.

After the closing of the conversation between Mrs. Duchess and Mrs. Elizabeth, Ariella was walking into the house and quickly taking off her shoes.

Ezekiel walked into a room that resembled an enormous dining room. It had a long oak table that could seat almost fifteen people. Sitting at the top of the table was Ezekiel's father and his father's fiancée. Ezekiel sat at the far end as far away from his father as possible.

"Hello Ezekiel, glad you finally decided to join us for tea," spat his father, Thomas.

"Sorry father. I was busy. Please excuse my absence." Said Ezekiel not meeting his father's gaze.

Thomas nodded then clapped his hands as the maids filed in with the afternoon tea and pastries.

"Do not be late again," replied Thomas sternly.

"Yes sir."

"Well you know that I am getting ready for my marriage to Anastasia correct," asked Ezekiel's father.

Ezekiel only nodded his head glancing from Anastasia who was adorned with jewelry and the most absurd clothes of green and pink frills.

"I realize that your mother died two years ago, and I wanted to know if it would be all right to resume this marriage to Anastasia." His father mentioned as he took a bite of his pastry

"Yes father. I am most content with your marriage," said Ezekiel holding back tears in his eyes.

"I want to thank you Ezekiel for your kindness to Anastasia and the acceptance of our engagement and marriage."

Ezekiel nodded his head before speaking," Your welcome father. Now if I may, I wish to be excused. I want to go to the gardens."

Thomas nodded his head confused. "That will be fine son."

Ezekiel gave a small bow to the both of them before quickly and quietly exiting the room. Once out of the room, he let his stoic composure fall and took a deep breath as he sighed holding back tears.

Confused, Thomas sat in his chair staring at the door that Ezekiel had left through. Anastasia smiled and put her hand on his reassuring him. "Do not worry Thomas. Everything will be fine I promise," said Anastasia.

"I hope so for our sake. I pray to God every night and day hoping all will go as well as planned with him but I can never tell if he is alright with it or not. I must be a horrible father not to notice how he feels." Said Thomas sadly.

"Nonsense Thomas you have been all that you possibly could with Ezekiel. I am sure everything will be fine." She reassured.

Ezekiel walked down the stone pathways that lead through the gardens observing all the flowers his mother had loved dearly.

"Getting married. How could he marry her!" Ezekiel yelled angrily towards the sky. "I can't believe it. He just makes me so irritated."

After a few more minutes of walking, Ezekiel came across a tree that overlooked the whole garden and decided to climb it. As he sat on one of the limbs, he watched the orange setting sun. Above him, the birds had settled in their thorny nests while the rabbits below were settled in there warm holes. As the light wind blew, it took flower petals and leaves off the trees. As calming as it all was, it did not seem to calm Ezekiel down any about his fathers "engagement". Taking is eyes off the sunset; Ezekiel looked at the ground in pure disappointment. Nothing had ever calmed him down except his mother, but she was gone now. He had nothing left except his father and Anastasia who never did anything but torture him about his mother.

Anastasia did not like his mother. She broke things of his mothers and trashed everything else. The only thing she did not get a hold of was a music box and a locket. Since his mother's death, Ezekiel had not taken the box and locket out because of Anastasia. He knew the only reason Anastasia wanted to marry Thomas was because of the money that came with the marriage and it was up to Ezekiel to get rid of her. However, finding his father someone else would be difficult.

While Ezekiel took a deep breath and let it out, he closed hieyes and sighed. What am I to do now? If he gets married to her everything will be ruined. My life will be ruined and no one will be there to stop it. Lying on his back against the tree with thoughts feeling his head,, Ezekiel watched the setting sun once again trying to calm himself.

"Bye mom, I am going to watch the sunset," said Ariella waving good bye to her mother after she finished the dishes.

"Okay Ariella just be careful. I do not want anything to happen to you," said her mother concerned.

"Mom I will be fine. I will be back in an hour okay," said Ariella as she left the house.

She ran down a long road before reaching woods that led her into a beautiful garden. When Ariella reached the garden filled with roses, daises, and lilies, she sat down towards the setting sun. The flowers perfectly aligned a small pathway and the setting sun set a peaceful glow to the garden. Smiling Ariella picked one. The sunset could be best seen from this place and that is why Ariella loved the garden so much. While she sat on the ground, she watched as the sun crept behind the trees. Sighing, she lied down in the flowers. The light breeze made it the perfect temperature for her.

"Just in time." She said smiling to herself.

Spotting the girl, Ezekiel shouted down to her. "Girl, what are you doing here? This is private property."

Ariella looked to the boy sitting in the tree before standing. "Oh… I am sorry… I did not know this was private property. Please forgive me," she pleaded.

Slowly the boy climbed down from the tree and approached the girl. "Who are you?" asked Ezekiel eyeing her suspiciously.

"Your father's town? Your Thomas's son, the aristocrat." Said Ariella as her anger spiked now that she knew who the kid was.

"Yeah what is it to you?" retorted Ezekiel.

"Oh nothing really. Only that your father is a no good, dirty, rotten crook," said Ariella yelling at him.

"My father is not. He is the one taking care of this town," shouted Ezekiel.

"Your father does not even know half the things tthat happens in the town. He is only taking up taxes to spend on himself!"

"That is because he is always busy. He is even to busy to take care of me much less a town," Ezekiel yelled at her as his face turned red.

"There you see. You admitted it yourself. I am going home," she said then turned around towards the woods.

"Good! I do not want to ever see you one this property again unless you want to get arrested," Ezekiel yelled but she had already disappeared behind the woods. With his blood boiling from the girl, he marched himself back to the mansion thinking to himself as he clenched and unclenched his fists_. That girl! How could she talk to me like that! I am Ezekiel Monatori. No one talks to me like that! I will show her. Just wait. That is what I will do. _He turned towards the woods before entering his mansion with a smirk on his face that no one saw.


End file.
